Shuswap Lands
The Kenpesq’t, or Shuswap Indian Band, is a member of the Secwépemc (Shuswap) Nation, an interior Salish speaking people who traditionally occupied a vast area in the south-central part of British Columbia, Canada. At contact, many Europeans had difficulty pronouncing and recording the sounds of the Salish language, resulting in the name Shuswap, which is the anglicized version of Secwépemc (sexwepemx in the practical orthography). The ancestors of the Secwépemc people lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle in the interior of British Columbia for thousands of years. Anthropological and archaeological discoveries, particularly the evidence of “kekulis” (semi-underground pithouses), connect the early Shuswap culture and way-of-life to these lands.
At the time of contact with the first Europeans in the late 18th century, the Secwépemc occupied a vast territory of 180,000 square kilometres, extending from the Columbia River valley and the east slope of the Rocky Mountains to the Fraser River Valley on the west, and from the upper Fraser River Valley in the north to the Arrow Lakes in the south.
The Secwépemc Nation consisted of twenty-five to thirty loosely assembled bands: today, seventeen Secwépemc bands remain with a fragment of their existing territory, 575 square kilometres divided into reserves. They are the Sexqeltqin - Adams Lake Band, Alkali Lake Band, St’uxwtews - Bonaparte Band, Canim Lake Band, Canoe Creek Band, High Bar Band, Tk’emlups - Kamloops Band, Quaaout - Little Shuswap Band, Neskonlith Band, Simpcw - North Thompson Band, Pavilion Band, Kenpesq’t - Shuswap Indian Band, Skeetchestn Band, Soda Creek Band, Splats’in - Spallumcheen Band, Peltiq’t - Whispering Pines Band and Williams Lake Band.
Since contact with the European explorers and settlers, the Shuswap way-of-life has changed dramatically. Like many other First Nations, the Shuswap Indian Band’s traditional territory has become increasingly committed to tourism and recreation, as well as industrial and resource development.
The identity of the Shuswap Indian Band is situated in a strong connection to their traditional lands. They are an extension of the vast history of their people, who travelled the Secwépemc territory in their annual seasonal rounds for thousands of years. Traditional knowledge regarding living and surviving on the land, as well as traditional Secwépemc culture and practices, are an essential part of the heritage of the Secwépemc people. Many of the community’s Elders hold this valuable information.